Innovative Building Products

Plastics and composites are nosing their way to the forefront in the search for new building materials

Most of the new building materials
on the market today are either
plastics or composites — alternatives
that combine unlike materials in
new ways. To make these products
saleable, manufacturers design
them so that they can be worked
and installed with traditional tools
and skills. In many cases, the raw
materials come from what has
traditionally been considered waste.
Wood I-joists, for instance, are made
from glued-together veneers and chips
from small-diameter trees. And the
makers of medium-density fiberboard
(MDF) take wood chips from mill waste,
break them down to their individual
fibers, and glue them back together
under heat and pressure. The process
yields a paintable panel with enough
uniformity and dimensional
stability for use in both cabinets
and furniture.
But wood